Prostheses may be used to replace missing body parts or repair damaged articular joints. Each patient's anatomy being different, it may be desirable to design patient-specific prostheses, which are adapted to fit each patient's unique anatomical features. Using such prostheses may indeed improve the outcome of the surgical procedure.
Prosthetic components are usually machined to have a surface adapted to mate with a resected bone surface. Attachment pins may further be provided on the surface of the prosthesis component for securing the latter to the bone. During the machining process, such pins may also be used to secure the prosthesis component being machined to a support, such as a vise. However, when dealing with patient-specific prosthesis components, the prosthesis surface is typically customized to fit the patient's anatomy. As such, the mating of the prosthesis with the resected bone surface is achieved by the unique form of the prosthesis surface and no attachment pins may be used. It may therefore prove difficult to use conventional supports to secure patient-specific prosthesis components during machining thereof.
There is therefore a need for an improved device and method for holding a machined object, such as a prosthesis, in place during machining thereof.